Day 6: Writing as a Process
Introduction to Composing as a Process,” Seth Graves (pg 93)
Although the product is the most appreciated stage of writing, the process is the most substantial. This process is composed of the exploring, planning, drafting, and revising of a writing piece. This cycle, as Seth Graves states, is recursive in the composition of all types of writing spaces.
“Freewriting,” Peter Elbow (pgs 97-99)
Peter Elbow’s freewriting strategy allows for an unfiltered, continuous stream of thinking that can lead you in the right direction of thought. By just writing thoughtlessly, writers rid themselves of inhibition and the constant emphasis on editing. This practice of nonediting directly makes an individual’s writing “less blocked” as it is your unstrained voice.
“Shitty First Drafts,” Anne Lamott (pg 94-96)
With writing, the idea that it will be clear-cut and a first try experience is misleading. In reality, the experience from beginning to end can best be described as tedious and, as Anne Lamott describes it, shitty. The “shitty first draft” in particular, is something that should be accepted and welcomed as the predisposer to a good essay.
Connection
The writing process, to most, could be described as a strict format of writing, editing, and repeating and this can sometimes prove too restrictive. The practice of freewriting and “shitty” first drafts may sometimes prove more beneficial to some writers than the conventional practices. Regardless of preference, limiting editing and allowing your inner voice to seep through more is unarguably a good.